Hydrocarbon vaporizer or burner.



Patnted Apr. l5, |9D2.

3 Shoets`-Sheet 3.

(Application filed ne. q, 1900..

L. G. GEBHARD &-J. M. ROWLEY. HYDROCARBON VAPORIZER OR BURNEB.

(No Model.)

ul' d, I 3

& d 1 E ll INVENTORS z By Atomeys, N

III

NORRIS mins oo wo'rouma. NINGYON D I:

z F/G W Mziu.

WITNESSES: p m( &M

v 'and 3 are vertical sections on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Figs. l and 4, respectively, the hood i UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

LAWRENCE G.. GEBHARD AND JAMES'M. ROlVLEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

HYDROCARBON vAeo'a oR VBURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 697,(318, dated April 15, 1902. Application filed December 4, 19oo.' Serial No. 38,608. (No model.)

To all whom L't ncy cancern:

United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful ImprovenentsinHydrocarbonVaporizersorBurners, of which the following is a specification.

Our inventionaims to provide an improved Vaporizer for generating gas from gasolene and similar liquid hydrooarbons; and it provides 'especially an extremely com pact nechanism whereby the preliminary generation of a considerable Volume of gas for use in connection with automobile-boilers and the like may be effected in the quickest possible time, and which can be taken apart and cleaned without diflculty.

Ourinvention provides also a vaporizer embodying various other features ot' advantage, as will be'hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, showing an fapparatus embodying 'our invention, Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus with the hood of the vaporizing-chamber removed. Figs. 2

being in place. Fig. 4 is an underside plan view of the casting forming the admission and discharge branches and part of the vaporizing-chamber. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the application otourinvention to a well-known type of autonobile-boiler; and Fig. 6 is a section, on the same plane as that of Fig. 3, of a modification. Figs. 7 to 11 are views similar to Figs. 4, 2, 3, and G, respectively, ot' a modification. i

The complete apparatus includes a branch which admits the liquid to a chamber, achamber into which the liquid passes and is vaporizcd, aburner which receives a portion of the I vapor from such chamber and maintains the chamber heatedso as to continue the generar tion of vapor, and a branch which receivs i the remainder of the vapor from the cham- J ber, and which is adapted tobe connected to i a main burner, such as the but-ner under the boiler of .an automobile.

Referring to the drawings, Aindicates as a whole the casting which forms a portion E of the vaporizing-chamber, an admission branch B, and branches C and D', adapted to be connected, respectively, to the vaporizing-burner and to the main burner. The portion E of thecasting has on its under side a projecting annular fiange E', which, in connection with a covering plate or diaphragm F, forms the vaporiZing-chamber. The diaphragm F is made of thin metal-such, for example, as

sheet-copper-and is held against the fiange E' by any suitable means, such as a ring G screwing on said fiange and L-shaped in crosssection to eng-age the diaphragm F. The branch B contains a passage b, through which the liqnid is admitted to the vaporizing-chanber, the liquid-tank being connected in any suitable way, as by a pipe 0 'at b', and the flow'of liquid being controlled by the needleval ve b?, which is sere w-thr'eaded in the branch B and works in a stuffing-'box ?9 of 'any desired type. i

The branch D is connected with the vaporiziug-ohamber by a passage d d', the gas generated in the vaporizing-chanber being passed through the passage d and through a retarding` means to the pipe o', which connects with the main burner under the boiler. The preferred retarding means consists of a checkvalve whose resistance to the outward flow of the gas forces the gas when the pressure is not very great to find its exit by Way of the vaporizing-burner, as hereinafter explained. As shown in Fig. 3, this check-valve consists of a ball H, Operating in a chamber h', the lower end of which is connected with the passage d, coming from the vaporizing-chamber, and the upper portion of which is connected with a passage d?, connecting with the main burner-pipe 0'. The chamber h' is preferably formed by boring from the outside of the branch D and closing the onter end of the bore by a screw-plug 71 The branch C -is connected with the vaporizing-chamber and with the main-burner branch D. It contains a passage c, connecting with the passage d' and with a pipe C', which in turn connects with the pipe K,which directlysupplies the vaporizing-burner L,Fig. 2. The pipe K carries a needle-valve k, working through a stufing-box k'. At the end of pipe K is attached the vaporizing-burner L, having a series of perforationsl for admis- 4 nited by the torch.

sion of air, a diaphragm l', and perforations 1 for the escape of the combustible mixture of air and gas.

The relative positions of the branches and ?passages as explained above make a most convenient and compact structure; but it will be understood that the relative positions of the parts nay be considerably varied without altering the mode of operation of our invention.

The operation of the device as far as described is as follows: The tank of gasolene or similar oil heing connected at b' under a pressure due either to its elevation or to the use of compressed air or any other convenient means, the valve li is opened to admit a very slight quantity of gasolene to the evaporating-chamber, the oil entering through the passage b and dropping onto the diaphragm F. A torch being held under this diaphragn, the heat from it acts through the thin metal almost immediatelyto generate gas from the gasolene. The gas passes upward into the passage d' and the passages d and c. The rei tarding device in the passage d prevents the escape of the gas in that direction, and it is consequently forced to escape from the passage c through the pipes C' and K to the burner L, where it mixes with air and is ig- It will be understood that the valve k is also opened at this time. There is no further use for the torch. The process up to this time is much more rapid with our apparatus than with any other. of which we have knowledge. The vaporizerburner L having started to burn and continuing to generate gas, the valve b is opened so as to increase the supply of gasolene which falls upon the diaph'agm F. The pressure i increases as the quantity ofgas increases until it becomes so great as to raise the ball H and pernit to escape through the pipe 0' whatever excess of gas there is over that necessary to supply the vaporizer-burner L. The amount of gas required bythe burner L is controlled by the valve 70. ere the vaporizing-chanber entirely open, so that the vapor from a drop of gasolene admitted through the passage B might be immediately discharged through the passage d', it is evident that but a small quantity of gasolene could be maintained in the vaporizing-chamber, and all the heat of the Vaporizing-burner would be concentrated on this small quantity of gasolene, in consequence of which instead of merely volatilizin g the gasolene a portion of it would be so highly heated as to be changed to a fixed gas, some of the carbon being deposited in the orifices of the burners and in the passages of the vaporizer, which in the course of time would clog these parts. We prefer, therefore, to make our volatilizing-chamber as a long passage, substantially the entire length of which is exposed to the action of the vaporizingburner. (See Figs. 4 and (5.) We thus distribute the heating action of the burner over a large quantity of gasolene and prevent overheating of the same and the resultant cloged passage between the point of entrance to i the vaporizing-ehamber and the point of exit therefrom would secure the advantageous mode of operation referred to. The face of the portion E of the main casting, however, may be plane, as shown in Fig. 6, except for the fiange E' or some other means of fastening the diaphragm F', and the diaphragm may be grooved to compel the gasolene or gas to be exposed to the heat of the burner during its passage through an extended groove f, whose entrance f' and exit f may be arranged exactly similarly to the corresponding parts of the groove e in Fig. 4, or in any other equivalent arrangement.

In order to concentrate the heat of the burnerLand to therebyecononizethe amount of gasolene consu med by such burner, we use a hood M, which forms a hot-air chamber above the central portion Eof the main casting, the sides M' of the hood being extended below the vaporizing-chambcr, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and to approximately the lower level of the burner L. The heat accumulating in the chamber between the hood M and the top of the vaporizing-chamber retains the heat against the upper wall of the vaporizingchamber, so as to produce a much more eiiicient vaporizer. The hood M is preferably attached by means of lugs E cast integral with the portion E and screw-threaded to receive screws m, passing through the side walls M' of the hot-air chamber, these lugs being preferably extended somewhat beyond the edge of the portion E, so as to form a space between the ring G and the walls M. For preventing the accidental unscrewing of the ring G we may use ascrew m passing through M' and screwing into the ring G. The hood M and the side member M' are readily detached by unscrewing the screws m m'. Access may be then had to the vaporizing-chamber throughout its entire length by merely unscrewing the ring G and removing the diaphragm F or F'. Another advantage of this construction is that it allows the putting of as many braccs or bars across the lower clamp from one point of the circumference to another as may be desired, depending on the pressure, and yet without interfering to any appreciable eXtent with the degree of heat which can be produced, tlereby giving the under side of the vaporizing-chamber the re quired support for high pressure without appreciably diminishing the heatingsurface. As the vaporizing-chamber of high-pressure vaporizcrs is the part which most often needs ICO IIO

attention,ourinvention is especially designed to facilitate accessthereto and acconplishes this function in the simplest possible mann er, at the same time providing a thin'diaphragm which transmitsthe heat quickly to the gasolene. The removal *of the diaphragm for cleaning or ,other purposes may be efiected;

without interference by or the necessary removal of any other part easily and quickly,

and the reinsertion of the same or a new dia-, phragm is equally easy. Facility of inspection and cleaning (a property most valuable in high-pressure vaporizers) is thus combinedby our device withthenecessary qualities for obtaining a high pressure quickly. Access to 'the adnission and exhaust passages Z), d, CW, and c is also readily obtained by detaching the pipes connected `thereto. The valve H is :of the cheapest as we'll as the simplest con-' that they may be cast in a single integral piece simplifies and cheapens the Construction and makes it practicable to use aluminium for this purpose, which is highly desirable'on account of its lightness.

In Fig. 5 N is the gasolene-tank, having u the valve at, through which the oil discharges into a pipe O. A branch o leads thence to' 'the branch B of the vaporizer, the main pipe O leading through'a valve O', through one of the flues of the boiler P, and back through 'another flue to the main burner Q. The gas enteringthe vaporizerthrough the branch B 'circulates through the vaporizing-chamber and a-portion is supplied to the 'burner L. The remainder, constituting when in full operation the greaterpart of the gas, escapes through the branch D past the check-valve to the pipe o', and thence to the burner Q. It will be understood that the boiler, burner, gasolene-tank, and connections shown are merely for the purpose of illustrating the application of our vaporizer and that any other variety of these parts may be substituted.

therefor.

The operation of our vaporizer in connection with such parts is as follows: After the vaporiZing-burner L is burning at full pressure the valve b is opened more and more to increase the supply of vapor, the eXcess of which passes through the pipe 0' to the burner Q, where it is lighted. At the same time the valve O' is opened to admit gradually-increasing quantities of oil to the pipe O as it passes above the burner Q and through the flues of the boiler. The main burner Q heats the pipe O, so as to generate gas therein, which gas in turn is fed to the burner Q and increases the combustion, the main feed to the burner Q being controlled by the valve O passing through the valve O' and vaporize d The u As soon as thereis a suficient supply in the boiler to supply the burner Q the vaporizer is-cut out by shutting off the valve b The automatic check-valve H then acts to prevent back pressure.

A great advantage of the construct ion shown is that the automatic valve I-I provides against the explosion of the generating-chamber in' case of sudden generation of an uudue pres- 'sure in-starti ng the operation of the vaporize r, a very slight pressure being sufficient to raise the ball ?and allow theigas to escape. The ball also acts as an automatic shut-off when the generator is not in use, the' pressure then forcing 'the ball downward against its seat, as eXplained. By the use of this valve or a similar retarder a certain amount of gas is always supplied to the vaporizing-burner under the diaphragm, the weight of the valve causing the gas to escape in that direction before escaping to the .main burner.

It is obvious thatyarious "modifications may be made in the arrangement of the parts or in the individual features of ourinvention, and it will be understood that we do not limit 'ourselves to the exact construction shown and described. We desireto include in our invention all vaporizers having substantially the novel features and mode of operation above described or haVing any one or more of such novel features.

A modification of the appa'ratus in several of' its features is shown in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, Fig. '7 being a section onthe'line 7 7 in Fig s of the main casting, Figs; 8' and 9 being sections of the complete apparatus on passage 6 and has in addition at one end of' said passage a large chamber R, thus forming a double chamber. The large chamber can be either at the entrance end of the long passage, as shown in Fig. 9, or at the exit end, as shown in Fig. 10, the passage 8 Fig. 10, being properly modified to bringits exitopening in connection with the dischargepassage d'. By arranging the passage as shown in Fig. 9 the gasolene passes first into the large -chamber R, whichis preferably adjacent to the vaporizing burner or torch and receives at once a large quantity ofheat sufficient to vaporize it. It then passes immediately into the circuitous passage, where it receives additionalheat, as the upper and lower walls of the circuitous 'passage are heated both from the chamber below and from the heat confined in the hood above. This arrangenent of the Vaporizing-chamber is obtained by the introductionof an additional plate or diaphragm F between the main portion E and the diaphragm F, the diaphragm IOO IIO

F being spaced above the diaphragm F a sufficient distance to form the chamber R. Two apertures f f are provided for admitting the liquid and discharging the vapor,respectively, in the Construction shown in Fig. 9. In the Construction shown in Fig. 10, f is the adnission-opening and f a discharge-opening. For conducting the gas from the outlet ofthe large chamber R we show in Fig. 7 a circuitous passage 9 consisting of a spiral having its admission-point at 6 and its dischargepoint into the passage d' at 6 For the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 the passage e will be similar to 6 its inlet and outlet being properly changed.

In Figs. 8 and 9 we show an orifice at the top of the hood M and a short chimney M for the escape of smoke and for the forming of a draft.

Our generator is also adapted for continual use in the heating of boilers-such, for example, as the small boiler of a yacht--thatis to say, the generator will take the place of a burner, such as Q, Fig. 5, under aboiler and no preliminary or auxiliary generator of gas would be necessary. When used in this way, we propose to have the roof of the hood M covered with cement or fire-brick on the inside for the purpose of retaining the heat, so thatif the flane in the bnrner below should be accidentally extinguished-as, for example, by a pufi of windthe gas rising from the burner and coming in contact with the firebrick, which would probably be maintained ata white heat, would againignite the burner. This fire-brick lining S may be attached to the roof of the hood in any suitable wayand may be either in the form of solid plates bolted in place or in the form of broken pieces, as shown, held in place by a wire-netting s, attached to the hood.

In order to cheapen the Construction, our main casting may consist of, in addition to the branches and face portions previously desoribed, a lower portion M of the hood, corresponding to the portion M' of Fig. 2. It

` may also include as an integral part thereof the pipe 0 cor'esponding to the separate pipe C' of Fig. 2. It may also have the branch C extended and arranged to receive the Valve 70 as shown in Fig. 8, the passage c being suitably modified for this purpose. By infeatures and combinations,each substantially as described:

1. In a vaporizer, a vaporizing-chamber, an ad mission-passage thereto,and two dischargepassages therefrom adapted to conduct the vapor to the vaporizing and main burners respectively, and a check-valve in the mainburner passage opening outward from said vaporizing-chamber.

2. In a vaporizer, avaporizing-chamber, an admission-passage thereto,and two dischargepassages therefrom adapted to conduct the vapor to the vaporizing and main burners respcctively, and means in the main -burner passage resisting the discharge of vapor therethrough so as to insure that the first vapor generated shall pass to the vaporizing-burner.

3. In a hydrocarbon-Vaporizer, the combination with a member comprising a main portion E recessed on one face, of a pair of diaphragms F F removably attached to said 'ecessed face and with a space between them so as to form with said recessed face and with each other a double vaporizing-chamber.

4:. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizer, the combination witha member comprising a main portion E recessed on one face of a pair of thin metal diaphragns F F removably attached to said recessed face and with a space between them so as to form with said recessed face and with each other a double vaporizing-chamb'er.

'5. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizer, the combination with a member comprisinga main portion E having on one face along groove, of a pair of diaphragms F F* removably attached to said grooved face and having a space between them so as to form with said recessed face and with each other a double vaporizingchamber conposed of a long passage 6 and a large chamber R.

6. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizer, the combination with a member comprising a main portion E having on one face along groove, of a diaphragm F forming with said grooved face a long passage 6 a diaphragm F spaced apart from said diaphragm F and forming therewith a large chamber R, and a ring G holding said diaphragms removably attached in position.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAWRENCE G. GEBHARD. JAMES M. ROWLEY. Witnesses:

ELIJAH W. HOLT, MYRoN M. LUDLOW, J r.

ICO

IIO 

